No sophomore jinx for Mumford & Sons

Friday

Oct 5, 2012 at 7:55 PMOct 5, 2012 at 7:59 PM

If you don’t know about Mumford & Sons, you’re missing one of today’s best new and exciting bands.The UK lads are leading a folk revolution. The band’s latest album, “Babel,” is the new No. 1. No sophomore jinx, “Babel” debuted with the biggest opening week of the year, moving an impressive 600,000 CDs. beating Justin Bieber’s “Believe” by almost 300,000.This band’s energy and lyricism are truly unmatched right now.

David T. Farr

If you don’t know about Mumford & Sons, you’re missing one of today’s best new and exciting bands.The UK lads are leading a folk revolution. The band’s latest album, “Babel,” is the new No. 1. No sophomore jinx, “Babel” debuted with the biggest opening week of the year, moving an impressive 600,000 CDs. beating Justin Bieber’s “Believe” by almost 300,000. This band’s energy and lyricism are truly unmatched right now.“Sigh No More,” the band’s debut, broke the mold of manufactured pop and set the tone for a string of fresh bands like Fun, The Avett Brothers, The Lumineers, Of Monsters And Men, and Foster The People, groups that embrace real musicianship.On “Sigh No More,” the tracks “Little Lion Man,” “Roll Away Your Stone,” “The Cave,” and “Timshel” could not have been any better, in my opinion. They showcased the guys’ talents and set the bar quite high for other bands and themselves.Expectations were high for “Babel,” but thankfully Marcus Mumford, Winston Marshall, Ted Dwane and Ben Lovett were ready for the challenge. “Babel” is another folk-rock masterpiece.I was so happy to get my copy and find out the band didn’t forget who they were. They seemed to embrace the magic even more so on this record by managing to capture the energy of live shows, right in the studio. The sound feels richer without coming across polished.“Babel” is what I like to call a “whole” album — meaning the entire album is meant to be heard end-to-end.A lot of forethought went into the making of this record and the 12 songs that comprise it. The title track is the perfect way to begin. It’s intense, both musically and lyrically. Listening to it, you can almost envision the guys standing in a circle having an old-fashioned jam session, stomping their feet and wiping the sweat from their brows. This is what music is supposed to be like.“Whispers In The Dark” and “I Will Wait” follow that same recipe for success. Their connection as musicians is most evident here. The energy is so magnificent that you can’t help but feel like you’re a part of the music, too. You’re hooked the moment the banjo starts plucking, the piano keys jumping and the mandolin strings are humming.Marcus Mumford is an amazing vocalist, too. He certainly doesn’t disappoint when it comes to delivering lyrics that pack a punch while leaving you hanging on his every word. Case in point: On the song “Babel,” he sings, “Press my nose up to the glass around your heart/I should’ve known I was weaker from the start.” You can feel the conviction in his soul.“Lovers’ Eyes,” “Broken Crown,” “Not With Haste” and “Lover Of The Light” capture romance hidden within their hearts. The deluxe version contains three additional tracks, including a cover of the Simon & Garfunkel classic “The Boxer.” Jerry Douglas and Paul Simon team up with Mumford, which works well, but in all honesty it doesn’t quite do it for me the way that Simon & Garfunkel’s version can.

David T. Farr is a Journal Correspondent. Email him at farrboy@hotmail.com. You can also find The Farr Side on Facebook.